The Last Blitzkrieg (1959)
Directed by Sam Katzman this film stars Van Johnson, Dick York and Kerwin Mathews. Germans pose as US soldiers to sow confusion during the battle of the bulge.
This film is clearly part of the post war effort to rehabilitate Germany in American eyes with a strong “not all Germans” theme to it. I found the film a bit simplistic and obviously made on the cheap. Not one of the better WW2 films.
2/5
Bains en mer (1897)
Directed by Auguste and Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. People jump in the sea while in the background a boat rows out to sea.
Very simple in terms of content there is a decent amount of action captured in the frame. This could easily be someone's holiday footage. Nothing special in the terms of historical record really.
2/5
Mughal-e-Azam (1960)
Directed by K. Asif this film stars Prithviraj Kapoor, Dili Kumar and Madhubala. A 16th century Mughal prince falls in love with a common dancer leading to a clash with his father.
There are some really beautifully framed shots and in the two colour sequences you are really wowed by the splendour of the sets. I concede the plot is a bit familiar but it does a nice job of balancing the idea of duty versus personal desire. For a historical epic of the period this is a really well made film even if it is a bit on the long side.
4/5
Panorama pendant l'ascenscion de la Tour Eiffel (1898)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A camera goes up the lift in the Eiffel tower.
Calling this a panorama is a bit much however the film is interesting in that it looks out from the Eiffel tower rather than at it as most modern views do. It is strange to think there was a time when the Eiffel tower was not the attraction it self. To be honest the view captured is not the best as there is too much metal work in the way.
2/5
Shark Bait (2022)
Directed by James Nunn this film stars Holly Earl, Maxime Durand, Catherine Amy Hannay and Jack Trueman. Drunk college kids on spring break steal jet skis and end up stuck out at sea.
The biggest problem with this film is that the protagonists are all terrible people so who cares if the shark eats them. When it comes to the shark the plot relies on the usual unrealistic vengeful shark trope that has long been debunked. Utterly predictable, there are no real redeeming qualities here.
1/5
Ateliers de La Ciotat (1896)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A scene of work at the La Ciotat shipyard.
This is more a shot of people hardly working than people hard at work. A bunch of people mill around without actually much going on. Some how crowded and lacking in action.
3/5
Uncharted (2022)
Directed by Ruben Fleischer this film based on the games of the same name stars Tom Holland, Mark Whalberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle and Antonio Banderas. A bar tender from New York joins the hunt for missing Spanish gold and his lost older brother.
I have no idea if this film is a good reflection of the games it is based on or not as I never played the games. As a stand alone film it is a decent if unremarkable adventure film. There are plenty of set pieces and a bit of humour but not much in the way or heart or soul here.
3/5
After Yang (2021)
Written & directed by Kogonada this film stars Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin H. Min and Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja. A family tries to come to terms with the loss of the older android sibling of their adopted daughter.
Taking a number of familiar sci-fi themes this film puts a uniquely human spin on them. It would have been very easy for this film to fall into using cheap plot twists but I love the way it sticks with telling an intimate story instead. This is exactly the sort of film A24 does well and is another fine art house effort from the studio.
4/5
Stowaway (2022)
Directed by Decland Whitebloom this film stars Ruby Rose, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Frank Grillo. A young woman inherits a yacht from her absent father.
Nothing about the plot of this film makes sense which is a bad footing to start on. As an action film there is just not enough going on to cover the cracks in the plot. The reveal of the bad guy is so obvious it makes my brain hurt.
1/5
Pebbles (2021)
Written & directed by P. S. Vinothraj this film stars Chellapandi and Karuththadaiyaan. A young boy is dragged round the countryside by his drunken father looking for his mother.
Slow moving and low key this film might not be to the taste of everyone. The film really captures some human moments. If you want a more explicitly laid out story this one is not for you, if you can enjoy a mood piece then this is a really good film.
4/5
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (2021)
Written & directed by Ana Lily Amirpour this film stars Joen Jong-seo, Kate Hudson, Craig Robinson and Evan Whitten. A young woman with mental powers escapes a mental hospital and is befriended by a stripper.
Nothing amazingly new stands out here but this film is still a decent amount of fun. You can overlook the predictability thanks to the unusual characters. A good genre piece if nothing more.
3/5
Village Rockstars (2017)
Written & directed by Rima Das this film stars a group of non actors from the director's home village. A young girl from a rural Indian village dreams of being a rockstar.
Verging on being a documentary thanks to the use of non actors this is a gentle coming of age film. Much of the content of the film is familiar but the setting and way the story is told have plenty of charm. I loved the atmosphere of the film which really captures life in a very pure way.
4/5
Lancement d'un navire (1896)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see the launch of a ship.
The image quality of this film is really good, unfortunately the shot is framed so we only see the hull of the ship not the whole beast. Despite the questionable framing I really enjoyed this one, you get a real sense of the moment from the way the people react and the camera shakes. You definitely feel the movement of the ship in this one.
3/5
Marry Me (2022)
Directed by Kat Coiro this film based on the graphic novel of the same name stars Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. A famous pop star finds out her famous boyfriend has cheated on her and in that moment marries a stranger in the crowd at her concert.
Going into a film like this you expect a big slice of cheese however if the film took itself a bit more seriously I think it could have been something really interesting. Sadly rather than explore the ideas of modern celebrity, social media and privacy this film is barely even surface deep. I am actually disappointed with this one even after having low expectations.
2/5
Monstrous (2022)
Directed by Chris Sivertson this film stars Christina Ricci, Santino Barnardo, Colleen Camp and Lew Temple. In the 1950s a woman and her young son move to a new house by a pound that may be haunted.
Nothing is new or revolutionary about this film, it hits a number of familiar beats. Christina Ricci does her best to carry this film but she does not have a lot to work with. The real highlight of the film is seeing Colleen Camp working again.
3/5
Aquarium (1896)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A collection of fish and frogs swim around in a small aquarium.
I am not sure the amount of creatures in this small of a space is a good idea. The subject goes in and out of focus a couple of times which is not great either. Not one of the best early shorts.
2/5
Manusangada (2017)
Directed by Amshan Kumar this film stars Rajeev Anand, Manimegalai, Vidhur Rajarajan and Sheela Rajkumar. In a rural Indian village upper caste people do not allow the lower coast to use the common road for funeral processions.
This is a simple social problem film that focuses on the oppression of caste. Nothing is revolutionary about the film but it is fairly well made. Things never get melodramatic and by the end you really feel for the protagonist.
3/5
The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs (2020)
Directed by Pushpendra Singh this film stars Navjot Randhawa, Sadakkit Bijran and Shahnawaz Bhat. A new bride is caught between her husband's cowardliness and harassment by the local police.
There are some beautiful shots of the scenery in Kashmir which server as the back drop to this film. The direction might be a bit arty for some, the film is just a bit distant at times. I enjoyed the film even if the character actions were a bit confusing to me.
3/5
Last Looks (2022)
Directed by Tim Kirkby this film based on the novel of the same name stars Charlie Hunnam, Mel Gibson and Lucy Fry. A former girlfriend tries to get an ex-detective to look into the case of an eccentric television actor accused of murdering his own wife.
As LA based mystery films go this one is fine if nothing special. The light hearted approach is alright but if never manages to be as funny as The Nice Guys (2016). A decent watch just not something you would ever go back to like the better films in the genre.
3/5
Partie de tric-trac (1895)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A man and a woman play a French variant of Backgammon.
The image quality on the version of this that I watched is not the best, it is a little hard to see what is going on. It does not help that the camera is not high enough to see the board. A slightly below average film for the period.
3/5
The 355 (2022)
Directed by Simon Kinberg this film stars Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger and Lupita Nyong'o. A group of international female spies team up to stop a world wide threat.
Mixing together James Bond and Mission Impossible the underlying plot of the film is nothing special, in fact it is rather predictable at points. The feminist spin is decent although I would have liked to seen a more realistic plot to allow a better exploration of the idea of the different levels of work/life balance for women focused on their careers. Obviously the cast is the highlight of the film, putting together a real group of heavy hitters.
3/5
Railway Children (2016)
Written & directed by Prithvi Konanur this film stars Parimala, Mahonara K., Yash Shetty and Syed Pervez. A transboy runs away from home and gets a job working collecting bottles on the railway.
I really enjoyed the Charles Dickens style first three quarters of the film, it is very bleak and realistic. Unfortunately the film is let down by a really naive ending which does not fit at all with the harsh realities shown before. For being made with mostly non actors the performances in the film area really good.
3/5
Poultry-Yard (1896)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Two young girls feed some poultry.
There is not much to this short film and the image quality of the version I saw was not great which did not help matters. As early shorts go there is some action going on in the shot which keeps things fairly lively. About par for the course really.
3/5
The Beatles and India (2021)
Directed by Ajoy Bose and Peter Compton this is a documentary film with contributes from a number of Indians and people connected to The Beatles. A look at the connection between The Beatles and India as well as the effect the band had on the nation.
With so much written on the subject of The Beatles and India it is refreshing to see something from an Indian perspective. There is nothing ground breaking here even if we do get a slightly different point of view than the usual. I am not a Beatles fan but maybe those who are would get more out of this.
3/5
Last Film Show (2021)
Written & directed by Pan Nalin this film stars Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena and Dipen Raval. A nine year old boy falls in love with film, much to the disappointment of his tea selling father.
This is one of those coming of age films that really hits hard, likely because it is semi autobiographical. I love the way the film celebrates the use of light and colour in cinema without coming off as overly self praising. The side plot of the mother's cooking is really well done too.
4/5
Belfast (2021)
Written & directed by Kenneth Branagh this film stars Jude Hill, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds. A nine year old boy sees the landscape of his world change around him as The Troubles begin in Belfast.
I enjoyed this film a lot, especially Judi Dench's performance which reminds me a lot of my own grandmother. The script is a decent coming of age story however I think it lacks a little bit of something, it only really connects with the historical subject matter on a surface level in my opinion. What is lacking is something new or daring, still a good watch.
4/5
Course en sacs (1896)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A group of men take part in a sack race.
There are some top level techniques on display in this exhibition of athletics. An enjoyable watch, one that definitely brings a smile to the face. A fun little short.
3/5
Ostriches (1896)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. An ostrich pulls a cart with a woman in it, followed by some horse drawn carts.
For a film promising ostriches this one comes up a bit short. The one ostrich we do get is impressive but the rest of the film a bit average. A bit bizarre even if it does not live up to its promise.
3/5
Murder at Yellowstone City (2022)
Directed by Richard Gray this film stars Isaiah Mustafa, Gabriel Byrne, Thomas Jane, Richard Dreyfuss and Nat Wolff. A stranger gets blamed for a murder in a gold rush town.
At times this western is heavily over written when it comes to the dialogue and missing parts when it comes to the plot. I love a good western, sadly this is not one. Despite all the on screen talent this one falls really flat.
2/5
Le marcheal-ferrant (1895)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A farrier works on a horse's hoof while another man works some bellows.
Having two points of action in this film is a little distracting. It would have been better to focus on either the farrier or the bellows man but this is still a decent film for the period. Nothing to stand out though.
3/5
